Change of Heart
by Riana Mustang
Summary: Bakura's abusing Ryou again, unaware that his Hikari loves him until he pushes him over the edge. Now he must admit how he feels or risk losing his Hikari forever. Chapter 6 up! Rated for slight swearing, ch. 6 dedicated to my cousin.
1. Home Is Where The Broken Heart Is

Change of Heart  
Authoress: Aisling Kaiba  
  
(Aisling): I'm back with yet another one!!!  
  
(Bakura): Not again.  
  
(Iris): Oh, be nice, Baku-chan.  
  
(Ryou): Actually, for once, I have to agree with Bakura on this one. I end up getting tortured in this one. I thought you loved me, Aisling.  
  
(Aisling): I do love you, Ryou.   
  
(Bluefire): Yeah, she does. In fact, you two should get a room.  
  
(Aisling): ::Falls over anime style:: Hey, don't make me start on you and the Pharaoh over there. Because you know I will.  
  
(Bluefire): ::Whips out flame-thrower::  
  
(Aisling): Eep!!! Oh, ummm, hi?  
  
(Bluefire): Now, what were you saying?  
  
(Aisling): ::Really big sweatdrop:: Ummm, that it would be a good idea to flame Dice-boy *Duke Devlin* with that thing? Or are you still trying to castrate him? (A/N: Sorry, but neither of us like Devlin or his cheerleaders, and there will eventually be much bashing of them in the future. Please no one flame because of this. I apologize profusely to those who actually do like him. And the castrating thing is kind of an inside joke, so...yeah. ^____^)  
  
Duke: You two know you can't resist me.  
  
(Aisling): NOBODY ASKED YOU, DICE-BOY!! Why don't you go sulk over your business deal or something?!  
  
::Bluefire chases him away with her battery-powered, blood-encrusted weedwhacker:: (A/N: Again, inside joke.)  
  
(Aisling): Okay, now that he's gone, who can I get to do the disclaimer for me? Seto! Big brother! Can you please come do the disclaimer for me? ::Sad chibi eyes:: PWEEEEZE????? I WUV YOU!!!!  
  
(Seto): NO! NO WAY! NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!  
  
(Aisling): PWEEEEEEEEEZE?????? ::Intensifies sad chibi look::  
  
(Seto): NO! Not going to happen. No, Aisling. Damn it, no. Oh, all right, fine, just stop giving me that look.  
  
(Aisling): Yay!  
  
(Seto): Aisling does not own Yu-Gi-Oh (Thank God for that) but any OC's are hers.   
  
(Aisling): Arigatou big brother! And now, on with the fic! (Oh, and just as a warning, there is slight shounen ai in this fic, but not in this chapter. Pairings: Ryou/Bakura, and possible Yami/Yugi and Seto/Jou. My first attempt at something like this, so be nice.  
****************************************************************************  
  
(Chapter One: Home Is Where The Broken Heart Is)  
  
The pain was excruciating.  
  
Ryou cried out as Bakura slapped him across the face and sent him sprawling to the floor. He looked up Bakura, hurt, fear, and betrayal shimmering in those innocent, chocolate brown eyes. He stood up shakily and tried to bolt for the door, knowing that running away would only make it worse, but he didn't care. He just had to get away from Bakura. Unfortunately for the white-haired tenshi, the tomb robber was quicker.  
  
He reached out and grabbed Ryou, the spirit's pale hand latching onto that snowy hair and pulling him back harshly. Ryou whimpered as Bakura held the boy only a few inches away from his own face. He started to struggle wildly, trying to escape, ignoring the intense, fiery pain that flared across his scalp as Bakura tightened his grip on Ryou's hair.  
  
"_Never_ run away from me," he growled.  
  
Tears slipped down Ryou's face as Bakura turned and pinned him to the wall, effectively trapping the boy. Bakura leaned forward slightly, his tongue flicking out to catch the young one's salty tears. Ryou stiffened at the contact and tried once again to break free from his Yami's grip. But Bakura was much stronger than him, and proved it by keeping Ryou pinned tightly against the wall, pressing his body against Ryou's.  
  
"You're so beautiful when you're afraid, Ryou," Bakura whispered.  
  
This only served to terrify the boy even further, and a soft gasp escaped his pale lips. "Bakura...please. Onegai, let me go," Ryou whimpered.  
  
Bakura's mahogany eyes narrowed, flashing dangerously. He pulled Ryou away from the wall and threw him across the living room. His back hit a small table and he fell backwards, taking the table and an Egyptian-style lamp with him. He screamed in pain as shards of broken glass cut into his flesh, drawing blood, tainting his blue shirt a twisted shade of purple where the blood touched it.  
  
He tried to stand up, but a pain that was like the hottest part of flame shot through him from where the glass had entered his skin. He cried out again and collapsed to the floor, not even bothering to try getting up again. His chocolate eyes stared up at Bakura fearfully from underneath his snowy bangs as the tomb raider approached him, a vicious smirk playing across his otherwise handsome face.  
  
"Get up, weakling," Bakura snarled angrily.  
  
Ryou made a soft whimpering noise in his throat, but tried to stand up again anyway. The pain shot through him again, though, he fell back to the floor. Silver tears streamed down Ryou's face. Bakura rolled his eyes and lashed out, kicking the boy in the side as hard as he could, as if Ryou were no more than a wounded animal. Ryou screamed as he felt his ribs crack with a sickening, audible *SNAP!*  
  
"Onegai, stop," Ryou whispered, coughing up blood.  
  
"I said get up!" Bakura yelled.  
  
But Ryou didn't move. He couldn't, it hurt too badly. Instead he just lay there, crying quietly, half-unconscious from the pain.  
  
Bakura glared at the boy and took something from the back pocket of his jeans. Ryou gasped, his eyes widening in terror when he saw what Bakura had. It was a switchblade knife, the one that he had used on Ryou more than a few times in the past. The moonlight shining in the window behind them from outside glinted off the blade ominously, gleamed off the gold hilt that was engraved with Egyptian heiroglyphs and the Eye of Ra.  
  
He knelt down in front of Ryou, again twisting his fingers in the boy's white hair. He pulled Ryou's head up so that they were now eye-to-eye. The blade of the knife was pressed against Ryou's cheek and drawn slowly downwards, creating a dark trail of crimson against the stark whiteness of his pale skin.  
  
Ryou cried harder, his tears mixing with the blood that slid down his cheek. The salt from his tears leaking into the wounds only made it hurt worse, and Ryou cried out again softly.   
  
A feral, predatory smile drifted onto Bakura's face. He leaned forward until his face was only a few inches away from Ryou's, his tongue flicking out again to catch the bloody tears. Ryou tried to struggle away from Bakura, but the tomb robber was too strong and Ryou was in too much pain to really be able to fight back.   
  
Bakura moved back suddenly, though he still kept his grip on Ryou, and dragged the blade of his knife down Ryou's other cheek, then down both of his arms. Ryou screamed as the blood trailed down his cheeks and arms. Bakura smirked at him and stood up, taking a step back from the frightened boy. He then proceeded to lick the blood from the blade of his knife, something like a terrifying parody of a smile on his face as he did so. He took one more look at the boy before he disappeared back into the Millenium Ring, finally leaving Ryou alone in the silence.  
  
Ryou lay there, not moving, and sobbed helplessly. His soft cries echoed eerily in the darkened room, but he ignored it. His thoughts were on Bakura.  
  
Why did the ancient spirit insist upon torturing him this way? He had never done anything to Bakura to deserve any of this.  
  
It had been this way for nearly four years now, though, ever since Ryou's father had given him the Millenium Ring. Of course, his father couldn't have known that he was unleashing the fury of Hell itself on the poor boy, couldn't have known that the spirit of the Ring would make Ryou's life a living nightmare. His father didn't even know about Bakura. But then, his father was never around anymore anyway. He was always off on a dig in Egypt or somewhere else, leaving Ryou alone to fend for himself.   
  
When Bakura had first appeared from the Ring, Ryou had been hopeful, thinking that perhaps he'd finally found a friend. Boy, was he ever wrong, or so he thought. The uncannily close resemblance between the two of them had surprised Ryou, had even caught him off guard, but that had paled in comparison to the shock of what Bakura had done next.  
*To Be Continued*  
  
Ack! I am *so* sorry for the agony I'm putting poor Ryou through right now. He's my favorite character, and I normally wouldn't have the heart to do something like this. And yes, I'm aware of the fact that this has been done a thousand times, but I wanted to give it a shot of my own. Don't worry, no one dies, I couldn't do that to them. *Glomps Ryou and Bakura* Please, give it a chance. It's my first time writing a Ryou/Bakura fic, so please, no flames. Any and all flames will be ridiculed at your expense and used to light the demented pony and duke & his groupies on fire. I'll try to update again tomorrow, but I make no guarantees. Please R&R!!!! Don't make me beg. Well, Ja ne! 


	2. Bitter Memories

Change of Heart  
Authoress: Aisling Kaiba  
  
(Aisling): *Does happy dance*  
  
(Yami): What in the several Egyptian hells is wrong with her?  
  
(Ryou): People actually reviewed this and like it...0___0  
  
(Seto): *In a less than happy tone* Greeeeeat...there'll be no living with her now.  
  
(Aisling): Well, can you blame me? I thought ppl were gonna flame the crap outta me for this.  
  
(All): *Sweatdrop*  
  
(Aisling): And now to answer my reviewers. *Ex-Angel, Dice, and Bakura* ::Really big sweatdrop:: I'm glad you liked it. I just hope this next part isn't too horrible. *Lady Blade WarAngel* Who doesn't love angst? Although half of it makes me cry for like an hour...*Cazzy123* Arigatou! Things are just gonna get more angsty from here on for a while...::hugs Ryou and Bakura:: It won't be too bad, though. *Digimagic* ::Blinks:: You're putting this on your faves list? ::Does happy dance:: YAY!!!!! I'll check out your fic, too, promise. And yes, Duke and his cheerleaders have to *go* for what they did to poor Joey. ::Glomps him:: *Shadow of a Rose* ::Sweatdrop:: Is my fic really that good? Wow. I didn't know it was an "edge of your seat" kind of thing. And no, I'm not being sarcastic. Anyway, here's the next part. More angst for right now, but a little shounen ai later on for you other R/B fans out there. ::Glomps said Yami/Hikari duo:: Oh, and I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, either. *Sobs*  
**************************************************  
  
(Chapter Two: Bitter Memories)  
(A/N: This chappie is pretty much a flashback to when Ryou first gets the Ring. ** = Ryou's thoughts. Oh, and if anyone knows Ryou's dad's name, please let me know, otherwise I'm keeping it the way it is.)  
  
::Flashback::  
  
"Ryou, come in here for a moment, please. I have something for you," Ryou's father, Donovan, called.   
  
"I'll be right there," Ryou called back in his soft British accent from the kitchen. (A/N: I LOVE his accent. I think it's so kawaii!!!!)  
  
A few moments later, Ryou emerged from the kitchen and came into the living room, carrying two cups of hot cocoa. Donovan gestured for Ryou to sit down next to him on the sofa. The boy did so, handing one of the cups to his father and keeping the other one for himself.   
  
Donovan drank some of the cocoa before placing the glass down on the coffee table. Then he picked up a small, flat box and handed it to Ryou. The boy put his hot chocolate down on the table as well and took the package.  
  
Slowly, Ryou lifted the lid from the box, absently letting it slip from his lap to the floor, and pulled away the tissue paper that concealed whatever was in the package. His dark, chocolate brown eyes went very wide and he gasped softly when he saw what lay within.  
  
It was a gold ring dangling from a length of dark brown cord. The gold looked as though it was obviously very expensive. Inside the ring was a gold pyramid with an unusual version of the Egyptian Eye of Ra engraved in the center of the pyramid. Five gold pointers dangled in almost a semi-circle from the bottom and sides of the ring.  
  
Ryou lifted it by the cord and gazed at it, mesmerized, as the light reflected off the gold. He thought it was beautiful. It was like nothing he'd ever seen before. He shook himself mentally after a few minutes, though, and looked up at his father, curiosity shimmering in his innocent chocolate brown eyes.   
  
"What is it?" he asked.  
  
"It's called the Millenium Ring. I found it when I was shopping in a merchant bazaar near Cairo. When I saw it, I got the strangest feeling, like you were destined to have it," Donovan explained.  
  
Ryou nodded, glancing back down at the Ring, lost in his own thoughts for a long time. The Ring and his father's words had intrigued him, and his curiosity was starting to get the better of him.  
  
"Destined to have it?" Ryou asked curiously, tilting his head to one side in an endearingly cute manner.  
  
Donovan nodded. "Yes, though what I find even more unusual about it is that the man who sold it to me said it had something to do with Duel Monsters," he answered.  
  
Ryou stared at his father in shock for a long minute before turning his attention back to the Millenium Ring. His father's words didn't make any sense to him. The card game had only been around for a few years, but the Ring looked like it could have been centuries old, despite the shiny, glittering luster of the gold item. There was no way the two could possibly bear any kind of connection.  
  
After a few minutes, he shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside for the time being. He was about to say something, but he was interrupted by a tired yawn that he couldn't quite suppress. (A/N: KAWAII!!!) Donovan chuckled, shaking his head.  
  
"It's getting late, son. You should try to get some sleep, and we'll do something tomorrow, okay?" he said.  
  
Ryou nodded as another yawn escaped him. He stood up, still holding the Millenium Ring, and hugged his father.  
  
"I'm glad you're home, dad," he said as he stepped back.  
  
"So am I. Now, go on, get some rest," Donovan said.  
  
"All right. Good night, dad. Thanks for the Ring," Ryou replied.  
  
"You're welcome. I'm glad you like it. Good night, Ryou."  
  
With that, Ryou turned and made his way upstairs. He wandered down the hallway to his bedroom, turning on the light and shutting the door behind him. He walked over to his dresser and put the Millenium Ring down on top of it. He opened the top drawer and pulled out an old pair of black shorts and a t-shirt that was a size too big for him. (Again, totally kawaii!!)  
  
He quickly changed clothes and took his other ones into the bathroom, dropping them into the hamper. Then he went back into his room and picked up the Millenium Ring again. He stared at it for a long time, mesmerized by it again as he watched the light reflecting off the gold.  
  
After a few minutes, he slipped the pendant around his neck, lifting his snowy hair out from underneath the brown cord. He reached up idly and batted at the pointers gently like a kitten would play with a piece of yarn. (A/N: I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. He just reminds me of a cat. Don't ask me why, maybe it's the eyes, I don't know.)   
  
Suddenly there was a bright flash of light from the Millenium Ring that temporarily blinded Ryou. Startled, the boy stumbled backwards, crying out softly as he fell back onto his bed.  
  
*Well, at least I didn't land on the floor,* he thought to himself ruefully.  
  
When the light vanished and Ryou could see again, his chocolate brown eyes went very wide and he cried out in shock again. He blinked once or twice, wondering absently if he was hallucinating or something, but quickly realized that he wasn't.  
  
Standing there in front of him was a boy who appeared to be about a year or two older than him, wearing what looked like Egyptian garb. This didn't startle Ryou as much as the fact that this newcomer looked almost exactly like him and had seemingly come out of the Millenium Ring somehow. He had the same features, the same white hair, though his was a bit spikier than Ryou's, and the same dark, chocolate brown eyes, though they were much colder than Ryou's, and didn't have that same sparkle of innocence in them.  
  
"Who...who are you?" Ryou stammered, finally finding his voice.  
  
The newcomer didn't answer at first. He merely stood there, watching the boy sitting on the bed, (A/N: Get your minds out of the gutter, you hentais! No lemon in this fic, but probably in the sequel.) his gaze roaming over Ryou's delicate features and slender form. As he did so, he couldn't help but wonder if this boy was really his Hikari.   
  
He shook his head and finally spoke, breaking the awkward, uncomfortable silence that had inevitably fallen down in the air between the two look-alikes.  
  
"You may call me Bakura," he answered, his tone a little wary.  
  
His voice was deep, and purely masculine, and it seemed to give off the impression that he was not one to be triffled with. But it was the accent that seeped through his voice that seemed to have caught Ryou off guard. It had an edge of both British and what sounded almost like Egyptian. It was an exotic combination of two different worlds.  
  
*Just like us,* he thought to himself before he even realized it. Then, *Wait a minute, where the hell did _that_ thought come from?*  
  
Ryou shook his head, shrugging it off to fatigue. Then he turned his attention back to his twin, regarding him in awe and wonder.  
  
"Bakura? The famous Egyptian tomb robber?" Ryou asked, his eyes lighting up in innocent fascination.   
  
At that particular observation, Bakura's dark eyes narrowed, becoming almost stormy, really. He approached Ryou and, without any warning, suddenly backhanded the boy, the blow knocking him backwards.  
  
Ryou sat up, shaking his head to clear it. He stared up at Bakura from underneath his snowy bangs, his brown eyes filled with shock and hurt as they welled up with unshed tears.   
  
"What was that for?" Ryou asked softly, his voice trembling slightly.  
  
Bakura didn't speak for a few moments. It seemed that Ryou saw something like regret flicker briefly in Bakura's eyes. Ryou couldn't be sure, though, for if it was ever even there, it was gone just as quickly as it had come, only to be replaced with a cold mask of disgust, hatred and anger.  
  
"Pathetic," Bakura spat, disappearing back into the Ring.  
  
Ryou stared down at the Ring for a few minutes, finally letting his tears fall. He lay back on the bed, shifting onto his side so that he was facing the window, and drifted into a blissfully dreamless sleep. Bakura had closed off his end of their fledgling link, so Ryou never took notice of Bakura's regret in hurting the young boy that night.  
  
::End flashback::  
To Be Continued. Please nobody hate me for this. Like I said, things will get better for them later on in the fic, and this was just Ryou's memories of when he first got the Ring and Bakura came to him. He was fourteen *in my fic, anyway* when he got the Ring, so...yah. *Hugs Ryou, apologizing profusely to him for this* Reviews and *constructive* criticism is welcome, but any pointless flames will be cheerfully ridiculed, so if you don't have anything to say other than "this sucks!" or something stupid along those lines, then don't bother. Because I will just ignore and ridicule your ignorance. Yes, this is shounen ai, so if you have a problem with that, then I'd rather not hear about it. But to those who actually have something nice to say or constructive advice to offer, ignore my rant. Well, ja ne! 


	3. Nothing Left Last Resort

Change of Heart  
Authoress: Aisling Kaiba  
  
(Aisling): Yay! You actually like this???? *Is so happy I could cry*  
  
(Ryou): Umm, love? Calm down.  
  
(Seto): Oh great, now there's *really* going to be no living with her now.  
  
(Aisling): Oh, you're so mean, big brother. Spoil all my fun! *Pouts*  
  
(Malik): When do me and my Yami come into this?  
  
(Aisling): Gomen nasai, Malik-kun. You two aren't in this one, but you can be in the sequel.  
  
(Marik): How come the Pharaoh and his brat get to be in this?!  
  
(Aisling): *Eep!* Marik, calm down, like I told Malik, you two can be in the next one.   
  
(Marik): *Glares*  
  
(Aisling): Okay, you're scaring me, which is why I'm backing slowly away from you. Anyway, I just want to clear up a bit of confusion on something here. When I said in the last chapter that Ryou had heard of Bakura before he got the Ring, I meant that he had heard of the tomb robber, and the legends of said tomb robber being imprisoned in a mystical item, but that's it. So, gomen nasai if I confused anyone. Anyway, on with the fic now!   
***************************************************  
  
(Chapter Three: Nothing Left; Last Resort)  
Ryou shook his head to banish the memories, and immediately wished that he hadn't. An intense wave of dizziness flooded over him from the pain and loss of blood, making him nauseous.  
  
He finally managed to stand up, though, albeit just a bit shakily, using the wall behind him for support. He whimpered once as the pain flared in his back from where the glass had cut him. He steadied himself, trying to ignore the pain, and slowly made his way upstairs.  
  
Ryou went into his bedroom first, taking off his Millenium Ring and putting it down on his desk as he did so. He took a pen and some paper from one of the drawers, as well as the small pocketknife that he kept hidden in the back of the drawer where Bakura wouldn't find it. He sat down on his bed and started to write a note to Bakura. Tears streamed down his pale cheeks as he realized just how far he had been pushed over the edge.  
  
Bakura,  
I can't take this pain anymore, so I'm going to end it all, right here, right now. It isn't the physical pain as much as the emotional pain that you've caused me that I can't handle. I can't deal with you hating me. I was afraid to tell you before, but I guess in a few minutes, it isn't going to matter anyway. I love you, Bakura. I love you with my very heart and soul. I have ever since you came to me from the Ring and I first saw you.  
  
I know you could never return those feelings, though. It's not in your nature, and I've come to accept that. I was only in your way before, but I won't be a burden to you any longer. The Ring is yours now, do what you wish with it. I need to go now, before I lose my nerve to do this. Ha, you always did say I was weak, and maybe I am. But not now. No, this time I'm going to be strong. Just know that I forgive you, despite everything you've done to me. I always have, and I'll leave this world still loving you. Maybe we'll see each other again in another lifetime. Good-bye, Bakura. Tell everyone I'm sorry, and to forget about me. It's better that way.  
Love always,  
Ryou.  
  
Ryou choked back a sob as he finished writing the note. He let the pen fall from his hand to the floor, and, with trembling hands, carefully folded the paper twice. He stood up then, the note in one hand and his knife in the other.  
  
He walked over to the desk and put the note down next to the Ring. Then he took one last sad look around the room before he walked out and made his way down the hall to the bathroom, blocking off his link with Bakura.  
  
Ryou turned on the bathroom light as he entered, shutting and locking the door securely behind him. He leaned against the door for a long moment, his eyes squeezed shut in despair as he tried to stop his tears from falling.   
  
When he finally managed to regain a little bit of his composure, he opened his eyes and walked over to the mirror across the room. He cringed as his reflection stared back at him from the other side of the glass. His skin was far too pale, his cheeks were sunken and hollow, and covered in bruises, scars and dried blood. His chocolate brown eyes that were once so full of life were now haunted and empty.  
  
Absently, he flicked the knife's blade out of its sheath, watching detatchedly (A/N: Is that even a word?) as the light reflected off the blade. He started to cry again, harder this time. He pulled back the sleeves of his bloodied shirt and touched the blade first to one wrist, then the other. He bit back a cry of pain as he pushed the knife deeper, splitting the pale flesh.   
  
Ryou stared in morbid fascination at the blood that seeped out of the wounds, just a few droplets at first, but then it became a river of crimson that flowed down his arms and dripped onto the floor, staining the white tile red. He stumbled backwards in horror, letting the knife clatter to the floor with a hollow clanging noise.  
  
Suddenly he became dizzy-headed from the blood loss, and collapsed to the floor. Part of him tried to hold on, but he could feel his life slowly drifting away on a river of crimson, the darkness of oblivion beckoning to him and offering him solace.  
  
Just then, he heard someone pounding on the door, and a muffled voice coming from the other side. Idly, Ryou realized that it was Bakura, and he actually sounded worried. Ryou tried to make out what he was saying, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.   
  
Ryou lifted his head weakly, looking up as Bakura finally got the door opened with one of his lockpicks and burst into the room. Bakura cursed viciously in ancient Egyptian when he saw Ryou's slashed wrists and the blood on the floor.  
  
"Ryou!" Bakura shouted.  
  
He hurried over to the fallen tenshi, kneeling down beside him. He pulled Ryou into his arms, his touch surprisingly gentle this time. He grabbed a couple of small towels and wrapped them around Ryou's wrists firmly, trying to stop the flow of blood.  
  
"Kura," Ryou breathed softly, his eyes starting to close.  
  
"Ryou! Ryou, come on, stay with me. Don't close your eyes," Bakura said, desperately trying to keep Ryou talking.  
  
But it was too late. The boy was already unconscious. He was still breathing, but it was far too shallow and labored for Bakura's comfort. He stood up, carefully gathering Ryou up into his arms, and left the bathroom. He'd worry about the blood on the floor later, right now his main concern was the angel in his arms.  
  
He made his way downstairs to the living room, laying Ryou's motionless form gently on the sofa. He checked to make sure the boy was still breathing, and was relieved to find that Ryou was still holding on.  
  
"Just hold on a little longer, Aibou," he said, lightly touching Ryou's cheek for a moment.  
  
Then he picked up the phone and dialed the number to the Kaiba mansion. He had to get Ryou to the hospital soon, but he couldn't drive, and it was too far to walk. He tapped his foot impatiently as the cursed thing rang, waiting for someone to answer. He didn't have to wait very long. Three rings later, a childish voice came through on the other end of the line.  
  
"Moshi, moshi. Kaiba residence."  
  
The mental image of Kaiba's little brother Mokuba trying to sound formal would have been almost comical if the situation hadn't been quite so serious.  
  
"Mokuba, put your brother on. I need to talk to him immediately," Bakura said, doing his best impersonation of Ryou's soft British accent, and trying desperately to sound calm.  
  
"Oh, hey, Ryou. Sure, just a second. I'll go get him for you," Mokuba said, putting down the phone reciever. "Seto! Phone call!"  
  
Bakura sighed impatiently, only vaguely aware of a very brief conversation going on in the background. He glanced over at Ryou, making sure that he was still breathing, and was reassured by the sight of the younger one's chest rising and falling almost imperceptibly.  
  
Suddenly Bakura was startled out of his reverie by a voice on the other end of the line asking him what was wrong. He didn't even bother disguising his voice this time.  
  
"Ryou? Is everything all right? What's wrong?" Kaiba asked, his normally cold voice now filled with concern.  
  
"Kaiba, this is Bakura. Look, don't hang up. I need you to get over here as soon as you can. Ryou just tried to commit suicide," he said, his voice trembling with the tears that he was obvoiusly trying to hold back, and failing miserably.  
  
There was a moment of tense silence before Seto spoke again. "WHAT?! All right, I'll be right there. You'd better not have hurt him again, Tomb Robber," Seto replied.  
  
"Never mind that, just get over here!" Bakura snapped, losing his patience.  
  
Seto merely grunted softly, making it utterly clear that he was doing this for Ryou's sake, and his sake alone. Then they both hung up their respective ends of the phone line. Bakura turned back to Ryou, sitting down on the sofa and pulling the boy into his lap. He wrapped his arms around Ryou, holding him close against his body protectively. He buried his face in his Hikari's soft, snowy-white hair, and, for the first time in five thousand years, he cried.  
***************************  
  
To Be Continued....Mwa ha ha ha ha!!! Evil cliffie!!!! Don't worry, this isn't the end. And no one's gonna die, like I said before, I couldn't do that to them. I almost cried myself when I was writing that last part. *Sniffles, then glomps both Ryou and Bakura apologetically* I'm sorry I took so long to update this, but I'm close to graduation and I've had to deal with all that stuff. *sigh* Anyway, I really hope it was worth the wait. Arigatou to anyone who reviewed, and I'm sorry I can't respond to you guys personally this time. But, I'll try to get the next part up in a few days if I can. R&R!!! And please, go easy? *Hides behind the two white-haired bishies* Well, ja ne, all!  
*Aisling Kaiba* 


	4. The Hospital

Change of Heart  
  
Authoress: Aisling Kaiba  
  
Aisling: I'm back! I know I've taken forever to update this, gomen nasai!!!!   
  
Yami: Why do you even bother, hikari no baka?  
  
Aisling: You know, you could be nice to me for once, Pharaoh-boy. Or I might just have to tell Bluefire your little secret...  
  
Yami: *Blushing* You wouldn't dare!  
  
Aisling: Oh, really? Wouldn't I? You willing to bet on that?  
  
Yami: *Grumbles* No.  
  
Aisling: That's what I thought. Hey, Ryou-chan? Can you come do the disclaimer for me? Please?  
  
Ryou: *Sigh* I suppose so, love. Aisling-chan does not own Yu-Gi-Oh, but anything original does belong to her.  
  
Aisling: *Glomps Ryou* Thank you! In other words, oh rabid lawyers, me no own, so you piss off, okies? Oh, and this chappie is dedicated to Draggy-chan, who so graciously made fanart for the last scene in chapter 3 of this! *Glomps Draggy* It's absolutely beautifully done! When I get around to making a site, I'll put it up so you can all see it. So I'm dedicating this chapter to her as thanks. And now, onto the fic!  
  
****************************************  
  
(Chapter four: The Hospital)  
  
About ten minutes later, Bakura heard someone knocking on the front door. He stood up, lifting Ryou into his arms and shouting to Kaiba to come in, and that the door was unlocked.  
  
A moment later, the door opened to reveal Seto Kaiba. The Pharaoh and his Light stood behind him to either side, flanking the CEO. Jonouchi hadn't come with them because Seto had asked him to stay at the mansion and keep an eye on Mokuba until they knew what exactly was going on. Bakura cursed viciously under his breath in ancient Egyptian and shoved his way past the trio, pointedly ignoring the glare that Yami gave him. Yami was on the verge of confronting the other spirit, but he stopped when Yugi gently touched his arm.   
  
"No, Yami. Please, don't," Yugi said softly.   
  
"Why not?" Yami asked, raising an eyebrow at him.  
  
"Didn't you see it, Yami?"   
  
"See what, Aibou?" Yami asked.  
  
"Bakura was crying," Kaiba muttered, shocked.  
  
Just then, the aforementioned Tomb Robber realized that the others hadn't moved from the doorstep. He turned back around, his brown eyes still glistening with his tears. He glared daggers at them, annoyed at the fact that they were just standing around like that while Ryou was dying.  
  
"What is this, a Ra-damned committee meeting?! Why the hell are you bakas just standing there with those dumb looks on your faces?! I don't have time for this shit! Move your asses and let's go, damn it!" Bakura snapped.  
  
This snapped the others out of their shock. Seto shut the front door, making sure that it was locked so that no one could break in while no one was home. Then they got into Seto's limo and drove off.  
  
The short ride to the hospital was spent in uncomfortable silence. Bakura held Ryou in his lap protectively, trying desperately to reach him through their slowly fading bond. Yugi stared out one of the car's tinted side-windows, watching the passing traffic. Seto and Yami both seemed to be lost in their own thoughts, staring at seemingly nothing, though all three of them kept glancing over at the two albinos every few moments or so.   
  
After what seemed like an eternity to the limo's four occupants, the driver pulled up to the hospital, stopping right in front of the Emergency Room entrance. Seto stepped out of the vehicle, followed by Yami and Yugi, then Bakura, who was still holding onto Ryou's motionless form.  
  
"I'll call you when we need a ride back. We're going to be here for a while," Seto told the driver.  
  
"Yes, sir," the man replied formally.  
  
Seto closed the door and watched in silence as the limo disappeared into the traffic that was heavy even at this late hour of the night. Then he turned and walked through the sliding glass doors to join the others who had already gone inside.  
  
As he got closer to the Nurse's station, he could hear Bakura arguing heatedly with the receptionist who seemed to either be hell-bent on making the spirit angry, that, or she had a death-wish. Yami and Yugi both had a huge sweatdrop forming at their heads as they held Bakura back and tried to calm him down before he sent the woman to the Shadow Realm.  
  
Seto shook his head in bemusement and decided to chance tapping the enraged spirit on his shoulder as he came up behind them. Bakura turned and glared at Kaiba in annoyance. Seto pointedly ignored the look.  
  
"What?!" Bakura snapped.  
  
"Let me handle this," Seto replied calmly.  
  
Bakura opened his mouth to say something, looking like he was about to protest, but then he realized that they were getting nowhere this way, and he reluctantly backed down. Yugi and Yami let go of their hold on Bakura as Seto stepped up to the receptionist's desk, turning his attention to the young blonde woman who was shaking her head and staring up at the group over the top rim of her round glasses as though she thought that they were all crazy. She was partially right.  
  
"What seems to be the problem here?" Seto asked, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice.  
  
"Sir, there are other patients ahead of you. Now, if you don't calm your friend over there down and stop him from threatening me, I'll have to call security," she said snobbishly.  
  
That did it. Seto's anger flared and he narrowed his icy blue eyes at the girl, causing her to shudder inwardly. "Do you have any idea as to whom you are dealing with here?" he demanded quietly, his voice taking on an almost dangerous tone.  
  
She didn't answer at first, but then her gray eyes went very wide in shock and recognition as the realization struck her. She gasped, one slender, pale hand covering her mouth for a moment.  
  
"S-Seto K-Kaiba! G-Gomen N-nasai, sir!" she stuttered rather intelligently.  
  
"That's right. I'm Seto fucking Kaiba. (A/N: There's the gutter, get your minds out of it, you hentais!) Now, if you don't get someone out here to help Ryou right now, I'll not only have your job, but you'll have a lawsuit against you personally. Just in case you didn't realize it, I own this hospital and your so-called security!" Seto snapped. "So unless you want to risk trying my patience, I'd suggest you do as I say."  
  
"Y-yes, sir! R-right away, sir!" she yelped, leaping to her feet and knocking over her chair in the process as she scurried away to find a doctor.  
  
Seto smirked triumphantly as he turned back to the others. The look on his face clearly said, 'That is how you handle *that*.'Bakura shook his head ruefully, but the relief in his eyes clearly showed his gratitude. He glanced down at the angel in his arms, trying to hold back his tears. Yami noticed this and put his hand on the other spirit's shoulder.  
  
Surprisingly, Bakura didn't shrug him off. Instead, he offered the Pharaoh a faint smile-a genuine one rather than one of his cruel smirks that he usually reserved for Yami alone-and turned his attention back to Ryou. He was still breathing, though it was labored and slightly shallow still, almost as if the boy were caught in the throes of a terrible nightmare. Perhaps he was.  
  
The towels had slipped from his wrists somewhere between the car and the waiting room, but it didn't matter now. The bleeding had long ago stopped, leaving only a few scars on his pale wrists where he had cut himself with the knife and stains of dried blood around the wounds. The sight of the scars and his Hikari's blood made him cringe inwardly, though he gave no sign of it to the others.  
  
Suddenly he was startled out of his reverie as two doctors rushed over to them, pushing a gurney. One doctor tried to take Ryou from Bakura's arms, and after a tense moment, he handed Ryou's motionless form over to the doctor, who laid him down gently onto the gurney. She gave Bakura a reassuring smile, then she and the other doctor hurried away, pushing the gurney through a set of double doors at the other end of the room and disappearing from sight.  
  
Bakura stared after them, feeling strangely as though he was watching all of this from outside of his body. All of his fear, grief and guilt threatened to overwhelm him. He barely noticed Yami guiding him over to the other side of the room, didn't notice when he was gently pushed down onto one of the hard, uncomfortable chairs. He just stared out into nothingness, his mocha-brown eyes glazed over and unseeing. He wasn't even aware of the tears that now streamed freely down his face, leaving shimmering silvery trails in their wake on the pale flesh.   
  
Yami sighed, shaking his head sadly. As much as the two rivals claimed that they hated each other, Yami really couldn't help but feel some sympathy for the white-haired tomb robber, despite the fact that it was more than likely that it was Bakura's fault that Ryou was even in this situation in the first place. It had amazed him that Bakura was capable of feeling anything besides anger and hatred, really. But he had to admit that he'd be devastated if anything ever happened to his beloved Yugi, so perhaps Bakura's current state of mind wasn't quite so far-fetched after all. And Yami had the feeling that there was something more going on here than he was hearing.  
  
Yami shook his head again, pushing those thoughts aside for the time being, and turned his attention back to Yugi and Seto, both of whom stood staring at the two spirits in silence, Obviously wondering what was going through their minds at that moment.  
  
"Yami?" Yugi asked quietly, his timid voice suddenly breaking the unsettling silence that lingered in the air between the four of them.  
  
"Yes, Yugi?" Yami said softly.  
  
"Do you think Ryou will be all right?" Yugi asked sadly.  
  
Yami glanced back at Bakura, who was still lost in his own thoughts, decided he wanted some answers from the tomb robber, then turned back to his Hikari.  
  
"I'm sure he will he will be, Aibou. Why don't you and Seto go and get something to eat? I know neither of you have eaten anything yet, and besides, I need to talk to Bakura alone for a few minutes. I'll contact you through our link if there's any news about Ryou," Yami replied.  
  
Yugi seemed to hesitate for a moment, and looked over at Seto. The millionaire nodded, and Yugi relented, albeit reluctantly. He didn't want to leave, but he also knew that Yami would keep his word to let them know if there was any change at all in Ryou's condition.   
  
"All right. Do you want us to bring back anything?" Yugi asked finally.  
  
Yami shook his head and watched as they walked away. As soon as they were out of earshot, he turned to Bakura, laying a hand lightly on the tomb robber's shoulder to get his attention.  
  
"It wasn't supposed to be like this," Bakura muttered finally, his voice the mere ghost of a barely audible whisper.  
  
************************************  
  
To Be Continued...OOOOH!! Evil cliffie!!! I know it's been forever since I've updated this, and it's really late *like after 3 in the morning* but I finally got this part done. It's 4 pages long. I hope this was worth the wait. I want to send a quick thanks out to all my reviewers for making this my most popular story. Thank you all so much! I hope you like this new part. Reviews and constructive criticism is welcome, but no mindless flames like "this sucks!" If you don't like the pairings or whatever, leave. *Sorry, had to get that out. No offense to anyone who's reviewed this* It just ticks me off when ppl decide to be stupid biggots. Anyway, any and all flames will be used in my friend's flamethrower against pegasus or duke devlin and his cheerleaders. (sorry to those who like them). Oh, and I'm also looking for a beta reader for my stories, so if anyone's interested, let me know in a review. Wells, I'm going to shut up now, and I'll try to get the next part up as soon as I can. Promise. Ja ne!  
  
*Aisling Kaiba* 


	5. Spirit to Spirit Talk

Change of Heart  
  
Authoress: Aisling Kaiba (a.k.a. Ryou's Tenshi)  
  
Aisling: YAY! I'm back with the new part of this!! WOOOT!!  
  
Yami: You never know when to quit, do you?  
  
Aisling: Be nice. And no, I don't.  
  
Rishid: I'm just glad she's not dragging me into this.  
  
Aisling: Don't get too relaxed, Rishi-chan, because you're in the sequel.  
  
Rishid: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! That's a worse fate than having to explain certain *things* to Malik.   
  
Malik: *pouts* You're mean, Rishi.  
  
Aisling: Isn't he? Anyway, can someone please do the disclaimer for me? Onegai? *Sad puppy eyes*   
  
Ryou: I suppose so. Aisling koi does not own YGO, but anything original is hers.  
  
Aisling: Thanks Ry-chan! *hugs him* In other words, oh rabid lawyers, I no own. Bite me. Better yet, bite yourselves.   
  
All: *Really big sweatdrop*  
  
Aisling: And now, on with the fic!  
  
**********************  
  
(Chapter five: Spirit To Spirit Talk)  
  
"Bakura?" Yami asked uncertainly, not having quite caught what the other spirit had said.  
  
"I never wanted it to go this far. I was only trying to make him stronger, so that no one would ever be able to take advantage of him," Bakura continued, still staring at the wall. "I called him weak, but he's always been the strong one, not me. I've hurt him so much."  
  
"What exactly happened tonight, Bakura?" Yami asked, trying to get a straight answer out of him.  
  
Bakura turned towards him sharply, startling him. The pain that shimmered in those dark mahogany eyes gave away the emotions that he tried to conceal behind a half-hearted smirk.   
  
"What the hell do you think happened, Pharaoh?! Isn't it fricking obvious?! He wrote a damn suicide note and slit his wrists with a knife!" he practically yelled, tears still streaming down his face.   
  
"Calm down, Bakura. Ryou will be fine," Yami said, trying to reason with the irate spirit.  
  
"How can you be so sure?! Damn it, it's because of me that he could die. I don't want to lose him, I can't. I don't know what I'd do if I lost my Hikari," Bakura snapped, his voice faltering on the last part.  
  
By now he had stood up and was pacing back and forth anxiously across the white tile floor. As he did so, the realization of what Bakura was trying to say struck Yami, and the former Pharaoh stared at him. The look on Yami's face could only be described as shocked disbelief.   
  
"You love him, don't you?" Yami piped up incredulously after a few moments of stunned silence.   
  
His words stopped Bakura dead in his tracks. His whole body stiffened, and he inhaled sharply, taken aback by Yami's observation. He didn't deny the statement, but he wouldn't meet that intense crimson gaze that was regarding him in silence, either. Instead, he merely nodded and sat down again.   
  
"I love him more than anything," Bakura replied finally, his voice now a barely audible whisper.  
  
Yami stared hard at Bakura for a long time, making the tomb robber decidedly uncomfortable, though he never would have admitted it, or at least not out loud, anyway. The former Pharaoh had a strange way about him of intimidating people that annoyed Bakura to no end, though he had no intention of letting Yami have the satisfaction of knowing that he could intimidate him.  
  
"Then why do you constantly torment him?" Yami demanded finally.  
  
Before Bakura could even have the chance to answer, though, the double doors at the other end of the waiting room swung open again, and a young woman wearing a white uniform approached them.  
  
Her emerald green eyes were tired and had dark circles underneath them, seeming to give off the impression that she hadn't really slept for several nights, which was actually quite possible. A few strands of her bright red hair had fallen loose from the braid that she had it pulled back in, giving her an almost disheveled appearance. The expression on her face was nothing short of grim as she approached Bakura and Yami.  
  
"You are the ones who brought Ryou Bakura in, am I right?" she inquired.  
  
Bakura practically flew off the chair that he was sitting on at the mention of his Hikari's name, resisting the sudden urge to grab the woman by the lapels of her white coat, and demanded to know if Ryou was all right.  
  
"How is he?" Bakura asked, trying to keep his voice from cracking, but to no avail.  
  
"We've got him stabilized for now, but he's lost a lot of blood, three of his ribs on his left side are badly cracked, and there are several cuts on his wrists and back that appear to have been made by either glass or a knife blade, as well as several severe bruises. My main concern here, though, is that we need to find a donor with the same blood type now so we can give him a transfusion, otherwise, I'm afraid that we're going to lose him," she explained quietly, her gentle voice tinged with sadness.   
  
Bakura shook his head in denial. *No, dear Ra, no. Please, don't take him from me,* he thought despairingly.  
  
Suddenly he realized that the woman was speaking to them again. He turned back towards her, only to find her green eyes staring at him in obvious concern.   
  
"Sir, are you all right?" she asked softly.  
  
He nodded, brushing off her concern with an indifferent wave of his pale hand. "I'm fine. What were you saying?" he replied, trying desperately to keep his impatience in check and only managing to be partially successful.   
  
"I was simply asking if either of you might know if you have the same blood type as Ryou," she repeated calmly.  
  
The two spirits exchanged glances, and Yami merely offered a slight shrug. Bakura's dark eyes filled with determination as he looked back at the woman who stood there waiting silently for an answer.  
  
"I don't know if mine is completely identical to Ryou's, but it's most likely a close enough match," Bakura answered finally.  
  
She nodded. "Are you--? she started, only to be cut off in mid-sentence by the white-haired tomb robber.   
  
"--His brother," Bakura said, offering the only excuse that he could think of at that very moment to explain his and Ryou's almost identical appearances. There was no way in the several Egyptian hells that he was even going to attempt to explain the whole Yami/Hikari thing to this woman.  
  
The woman seemed to accept his answer, though. Some of the stress and worry faded from her green eyes, and she looked more than a little bit relieved.   
  
"All right, follow me, then," the nurse replied.   
  
Bakura hesitated for just a brief moment, casting a dubious glance back at Yami. The former Pharaoh gave him a reassuring smile, and it seemed to put Bakura just a little bit at ease. (A/N:Baku and Yami actually being civil to each other? Wow, the world's gonna end... 0__o)  
  
"Go on, Bakura. I'll let Yugi and Seto know what's going on. Don't worry, Ryou will pull through this. Trust me," Yami assured the other spirit.  
  
Bakura did not answer, but instead he merely nodded. Then he turned and followed the nurse, disappearing through the same set of double doors where Ryou had been taken, hoping to Ra and any other deity who might be listening to him that he would not be too late to save his Hikari. Yami merely watched him leave, contacting his own Aibou through their link as Bakura and the young woman disappeared from sight.  
  
//Yugi?//  
  
/Yami? What's happening? Have you heard anything about Ryou? Is he going to be all right?/  
  
//Hold on, koi. One thing at a time. I'm sure Ryou will be all right. I need you both to come back to the waiting room and I'll explain everything.//  
  
/All right, we'll be right there./  
  
********************************  
  
To be continued...I know it's been *forever* since I've updated this. Blame my stupid classes. Grrr! Anyway, I really hope this was worth the wait. Please R&R!!! Please? Don't make me beg here. Don't flame me please. Well, ja ne! Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers for making this my most popular fic! *Huggles you*  
  
*Ryou's Tenshi* 


	6. A Chance To Save Ryou?

Change of Heart:  
  
Authoress: Ryou and Bakura's Wild Rose a.k.a. Aisling Kaiba  
  
Aisling: Yay! I'm finally back with a new part of this one! Don't worry, I'm not dead yet.  
  
Yami: Oh Ra no, not again. Do you just never know when to quit?  
  
Aisling: Oh ye of little faith. You're a meanie butt, Yami.  
  
Yami: I just know how you get.  
  
Aisling: Nyah. Sticks tongue out at the Pharaoh and shoves him out of the room There, now that that's settled, anyone willing to do the disclaimer for me?  
  
Amane: Sure. Aisling does not own YGO, but anything original is hers.  
  
Aisling: Ruffling Amane's hair Thanks, kiddo. And now, on with the fic! (Warning, tearjerker moment, you may need tissues.)  
  
Chapter 6: A Chance To Save Ryou?  
  
Meanwhile, Bakura followed the nurse down a series of winding corridors in a tense silence. He had long since lost track of where they were going, and everything just looked the same to him. It seemed to the white-haired spirit that they were only wandering around in circles, and he was becoming more and more lost with each passing moment. But as frustrating as this was to Bakura, he, for once in his life, made no complaint. His only concern at the moment was that of his angel, Ryou. In an effort to distract himself, he tried again to reach Ryou through their mind link, only to get the same result as before: silence.  
  
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to the white-haired spirit, they finally came to a stop in front of a small room. The nurse, Sakura, flipped a small blue panel next to the door and entered the room. Bakura followed a moment later, glancing around a little warily.  
  
"Just lie down over there and I'll try to do this as quickly as possible," Sakura said.  
  
Bakura nodded and laid down on his back on the medical table. He turned his head to the side slightly and watched as Sakura picked up a small needle, attached to which was a short length of tubing and a small glass vial. She walked back over to Bakura, an apologetic look crossing her features.  
  
"I need you to stay completely still for just a few minutes, because the needle might break off if you aren't careful," she said quietly, tying a touniquet around his arm.  
  
"I won't move. Just take what you need to save Ryou," Bakura said, somewhat impatient now.  
  
She nodded and slid the needle as gently as she could into Bakura's arm. It hurt a little, but he didn't even flinch when it went through the skin. He stared in morbid fascination as the crimson blood filled the vial.  
  
Every once in a while, Sakura would replace one vial with a new one. Idly, Bakura began to wish that she would hurry and be done with it, because he was starting to get nauseous and dizzy-headed. But he said nothiing about it, instead letting his thoughts wander to Ryou again. He still wasn't able to contact him through their link, and that was beginning to unnerve him. He knew his Hikari wasn't dead, he would have felt it if...no, he wasn't even going to think about that. Ryou would be fine, and Bakura would try to make things right between them.  
  
Finally, after what seemed like hours, but what must have only been a few minutes, the needle was finally removed from Bakura's arm. He glanced up at the nurse as she took the tourniquet off of him, throwing it away. Then she picked up the vials and turned back to Bakura.   
  
"Just lie there and rest for a few minutes. Once I get everything set up, then you can see Ryou," Sakura said.  
  
Bakura was about to protest, but as soon as he sat up, an intense wave of dizziness flooded over him, giving him a headache. An irritated growl escaped him and he laid back down, letting his crimson-tinted brown eyes slip closed. Sakura nodded to herself before she turned and left the room, unnoticed by the former tomb robber.  
  
Bakura, meanwhile, had retreated to the corridor that separated his and Ryou's soul rooms. He stared at the door to Ryou's soul room for a moment before pushing it open with slight difficulty and stepping into the room. A soft mist had settled over everything, and on a bed in the center of the room was Ryou, unconscious.  
  
The tomb robber moved to his Hikari's side, sitting down beside him. Bakura reached over hesitantly and started lightly stroking his sleeping angel's snowy hair, brushing the strands away from Ryou's face. He clasped one of Ryou's hands gently in his own, pressing his forehead against his tenshi's, unaware of the tears that had started to fall from his eyes, landing on Ryou's face.   
  
"I'm so sorry, Ryou. This is all my fault. I never meant for this to go so far. Ra, I never wanted to hurt you, I was only trying to make you strong. But I only pushed you away. Please, Ryou, you can't leave me here alone. I don't know if you can hear me, but I don't hate you, my angel. I don't know if you can even forgive me now, it's because of me that you tried to kill yourself. I don't want to lose you. God, I'm so sorry. Please, wake up, come back to me," Bakura whispered softly.  
  
But there was no response from the Hikari. Bakura gathered Ryou into his arms, holding him close protectively, still letting the tears fall as he buried his face in the younger one's snowy-white hair. Bakura had no idea how long he stayed there like that, holding his secret love close to him, when he heard a soft voice calling his name. He kissed Ryou gently on the forehead once before he pulled away and retreated from Ryou's soul room back to reality.  
  
He opened his eyes and saw the same nurse from before hovering over him, her green eyes filled with obvious concern. He sat up slowly, waving away the hand that she offered to him as he got to his feet a bit shakily.  
  
"Where's Ryou? Take me to him, now," Bakura said.  
  
Sakura smiled sweetly and nodded. "Of course. Follow me," she replied.   
  
With that, she turned and walked out of the room again. Bakura followed close behind her as she led him back through the same confusing set of hallways as before, finally stopping once they reached an elevator. She pushed the 'up' button, and a minute or two later, the doors parted to reveal an empty chamber.   
  
They both stepped inside, and the doors closed again. Sakura pressed the button that would take them up to the fourth floor. The ride up was spent in a tense silence. Both stared straight ahead, Sakura casting an occasional sympathetic glance at the former thief when he wasn't paying attention.  
  
Finally the elevator stopped after what seemed like forever, and they stepped out into the hallway. They passed through another set of double doors wordlessly, finally coming to a halt in front of a closed door with the numbers '422' on the door.  
  
"You can go on in. He should be waking up anytime now," Sakura said, opening the door.  
  
"Thanks," Bakura muttered, stepping into the room as the nurse walked away, shutting the door behind him again for privacy.  
  
To Be Continued...okay, I apologize profusely for taking so long to get this updated. Thank my cousin for giving me the kick in the butt (not literally) to start working on this again. I'm in Kansas right now, typing this in our hotel room. (Stupid internet connection...won't work...sends it to the Shadow Realm) Umm...heh...where was I going with this? Sorry it's so short this time. I promise, there is mucho R/B fluff to come. Please, no one tar and feather me, or anything of the like, b/c I won't be able to write anymore then. I'm gonna go for now, b/c it's kind of late. I'll try to have this up asap, though. Promise. R&R! Flame me, and I'll sic Bandit Keith shudder on you! Actually, no, I'll just sic Shaadi or Pegasus on you if you flame me. Okay, I'm gonna shut up now. Ja ne!  
  
Ryou and Bakura's Wild Rose 


End file.
